So which story do you want to hear? The one in which cult hero David Yow joins Qui, a duo that sounds an awful lot like The Jesus Lizard? Or the one in which a band as powerful and inventive as The Jesus Lizard recruits that group’s singer, David Yow?
Either way, Qui is going to suffer comparisons to The Jesus Lizard thanks to Yow’s presence. It’s not as though it matters to Qui in the slightest, as they sound thrilled to be making music with Yow, and Yow sounds thrilled to be making music period.
Since Qui are already a seasoned and intuitive combo (and have probably been studying Jesus Lizard albums Head and Liar in a basement for years), the logical and welcome addition of Yow not only seems natural, but it sounds like he was made for them.
Anyone who listened to The Jesus Lizard’s 1996 disc Shot won’t be surprised by the clarity of Yow’s voice, but the real surprise is his new interest in unsettling delicacy. There are more moments of quiet grace than anything Yow has sung before (see “A #1”). With that said, he remains Yow, and when he does let it rip (“Belt”, “Gash”), you might have a nostalgia trip.
Comparisons aside, Qui’s music is complex, stark, galvanic and deeply rhythmic. They also want to kick your face as much as any of Yow’s bands.
– Mike McGovern
Qui: www.myspace.com/qui
Ipecac Recordings: www.ipecac.com